What next for High Speed 2?

HS2 has been mired in controversy for years as fierce arguments continue about spiralling costs and what will actually be built. BEN JONES considers the future of the project under a new Labour government

Rachel Reeves’ Budget on October 30 at last delivered clarity - up to a point -on the future of High Speed 2’s London terminus at Euston. The £6.5 billion tunnels and station will be built, allowing high-speed trains to reach central London from Old Oak Common. That’s a relief for supporters of the beleaguered project and its contractors, but much uncertainty remains about the final scope of the Euston terminus, how many platforms it will have, who will pay for it, and whether it will ever deliver the benefits it once promised. Less positively, Labour’s first budget in 14 years failed to revive the critically important Phase 2a between Handsacre Junction and Crewe, cancelled by Rishi Sunak in 2023. However, the new government has also halted sales of land already…

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RAIL (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 1025

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